New Research Highlights a Gender-Specific Cardiovascular Risk

A recent study from Emory University, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, reveals that childhood trauma can physically alter the hearts of Black women, increasing their risk of cardiovascular disease. Researchers found that early life stress contributes to vascular dysfunction, a precursor to heart disease, but only in women—Black men in the study did not exhibit the same physiological impact.

Study Findings: The Link Between Trauma and Heart Health

The study examined over 400 Black adults in Atlanta, aged 30 to 70, to assess the impact of childhood trauma on cardiovascular function. Using a 27-item self-report questionnaire, researchers analyzed participants’ experiences with general trauma, emotional, sexual, and physical abuse.

Despite similar trauma exposure levels between men and women, only women exhibited arterial stiffness, a condition that increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, high blood pressure, and organ damage. This suggests that trauma triggers different biological stress responses in women compared to men.

Lead author Dr. Telisa Spikes, a professor at Emory’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, emphasized the significance of these findings, stating,
“We are seeing that stress gets under the skin, especially for Black women, leading to a detrimental impact on cardiovascular health.”

Why Are Black Women More Vulnerable?

The study suggests multiple factors contribute to this gender difference:

• Women experience different types of trauma—studies show that girls are more likely to experience sexual abuse, while boys report more physical abuse.
• Chronic stress exposure—women may encounter longer-lasting or repeated stressors throughout life.
• Greater physiological impact—women process stress differently due to neurobiological differences, potentially making them more susceptible to vascular dysfunction.
• Social stressors and coping mechanisms—Black women face higher rates of childhood maltreatment, compounded by adverse social conditions, which may lead to unhealthy stress-management behaviors.

Dr. Spikes also highlighted a key observation: even in a group with low cardiovascular risk, women with childhood trauma exhibited arterial stiffness, suggesting trauma itself may be a significant driver of early heart disease in Black women.

Implications for Healthcare: A Call for Trauma-Informed Care

Given these findings, early screening for trauma history could become a valuable tool for cardiovascular risk assessment in black women. Dr. Spikes advocates for integrating psychosocial assessments into routine patient care to better address the link between mental health and heart disease.

“Depression and cardiovascular disease go hand in hand,” Spikes explains. “Adding a psychosocial questionnaire could be an important clinical screening tool for risk assessment.”

With a better understanding of how stress and trauma contribute to heart disease, healthcare providers can develop personalized prevention and treatment strategies to improve outcomes for Black women.

More Information: T. Spikes et al. Effect of Early Life Trauma Exposure on Vascular Dysfunction in Black Men and Women, Journal of the American Heart Association (2025). DOI: 10.1161/JAH3.10387